Autopneumatic music-playing instrument.



10.852,813. I PATBNTED MAY 7, 1907.

F. C. WHITE.

AUTOPNEUMATIG MUSIC PLAYING INSTRUMENT. `APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1906.

'UNITED l sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. WHITE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoR To TEE wILcOx a WHITE COMPANY, OF MEEIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF ooNNECTICUT.

AUTOPNEUMATIO muslo-PLAYlNe. INSTRUMENT.Y

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 23, 1906. Serial No. 313,127.

'Patented May '7, 1907'.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WH1TE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Au topneumatic Music-Playing Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic piano players or pneumatic music playing instruments.

This invention relates mainly to an improvement in-that mechanism made the subject matter of myformer applicationy Serial N o. 503,748,1iled March 14th, 1906.

My object is to -provide an improved tension re lating appliance which will automaticallyl control the low tension in the Windchest and hold vthe same'substantially'uniform irrespective of the tension in the bellows or exhaust chamber, the apparatus being also so constructed that whenever 7Vdesired; and for whatever purpose desired, the tension in the wind-chest may be instantly changed from high to low,and vice versa. Figure 1 is a' vertical section of certain arts of a pneumatic piano or music playing instrument of well known construction, but

fitted with mynew improvement. Fig. 2 is a section on the plane of the line X-X in Fig. 1, the upper part of the wind-chest being vbroken away, and the parts being shown inl position to regulate and control the low teli# sion in ,the wind-chest. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the same parts, the latter being in a position for highv tension in the wind-chest. F ig.4 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 3,' but showing a modification, the parts being in position for regulating the low tension. Fig. is a similar view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, said parts being in position for hightension.

It will be unnecessary for me to describe inA detail the variousparts of the action mechanism, since my invention is notdependent thereon. Iy will, however, refer briefly to such parts in Aorder that the importance of my invention may be fully comprehended.

1 is a key, which, when depressed, sounds 5o anote.

'2is the lever orkey-striking linger. This lever .or `key-striking finger is actuated thnoughsuitable connecting devices by a'l vthe port`12. tappet rod connecting the movable back of bellows l17 with the section 15a of the valve.

, cated in Fig.. 2.

power pneumatic 3. The operation ofv this power pneumatic is controllable by valve 4. The moment of operation of the valve 4 is determined by valvek 5, and the moment of operation of valve 5 is determined by a perforation in note sheet 21, which traverses a tracker 22. When a proper perforation reg'- isters with the duct leading to the pneumatic for valve 5, the action responds and a note is sounded.

6 represents a part of the space within the wind-chest.

7 is an exhaust chamber. This exhaust chamber is in communication with the windchest, i

Air being drawn from the wind-chest takes the following course: It enters the space S in the upper part of a pipe or trunk 9. It then passes through the port 10 into the bellows l1. From thebellows 11 it passes through a port 12 and into the lower part 13 of pipe 9.

From thence it goes directly into the exhaust chamber 7. 14 is a iixed partition in the pipe or trunk 9. 15-15a are two sections of a valve, .the function'of which is to control and determine the freedom of passage of air from the wind-chest to the exhaust chamber. In

the preferred form, this valve is located within the bellows 1 1 and controls the size of the port 12. l 16 is a connection between the secE f tion 15 of the valve and the back of the bel# lows 11. 17 is a small power pneumatic, the momentof operation of which is controllable by the perforated note sheet. When a suitable perforation in the note sheet comes over the proper opening in the tracker, air is admitted through the duct 19 to suitable valve mechanism, which, when Operated, will cause the bellows 17 to actii: a direction to move and open the section 15-a of the valve, thus p ermitting the air to How more freely through In the preferred form, 18 is a 19 is a spring normally causing said section 15a to stand closed or in the position indi- 20 is a spring which normally tends to open or distend the bellows 11. When the bellows 11 is opened to its greatestextent, the section 15 of the valve is opened `to its greatest extent. As soon,

"however, as air isexhausted at 7, it would tend to draw' airv through .the bellows' 1 1 from will be-to cause the bellows 11 to collapse...

This will move the valve section so -as to 5 restrict the freedom of passage of air through the port 12. The degree to which this bel- A' lows 11 collapses is determined by the degree oftension within the exhaust chamber 7.

The degree to which the bellows 1 1 is collapsed xo determines the position of the section 1 5 of the valve, and hence this determinesthe degree of exhaustion in the wind-chest 6 and -`maintains the same substantially uniform.

As a result it follows that thepower pneu- I 5 matics 3 will operate with uniform force. It is sometimes desirable to change quickly from the normal low tension to high-tension yin the wind-chest 6. Whenever that change is desired, the pneumatic 17 is operated,

-2'0 opening the section 15 of the valve and giving the utmost freedom of communication between the wind-chest 6 .and the exhaust chamber 7 5 hence, atvthat moment the 'tension in the former will jun'p up to substanv tially that of the latter.

- desired to reduce .the tension again, the lpneumatic 17 ceases to operate, the valve sectiomla closes, and the tension-iin .the

l wind-chest fdrops'back again, and is', as be- 13C4 Afore vmentioned,.held ata uniform pointby the regulator section .15.- I-Iereafter I will refer valve. As shown in Fig. 2, othe' 'parts are in The moment lit is,

to the section 15 as. the tension governing section, and to the sectionl@ as the high tension section, 'of the position to maintain and control the low tenlsion in the wind-chest. In Fig. y3, the same parts are 'shown in' a position to permithigh tension in the wind-chest 6.

In Figs. 4 and 5, -I have shown a modification in which the sections of the tension regulating valve are hinged in the Imiddle, rather' than at one end,as shown in' Ifigs. 2 and 3. Otherwise the construction v1s identical .with that'shown in'Figs. Zand 3. Inthis construction 15b represents the tension overning section of the val-ve, and 1 5'3 is t e-high j tension section of the valve; otherwise similar reference numerals a ly lto the. corre;-

Saspondin arts shown in i s; 2 and 3. In

e Ino' 7 cationy showngin 4, itwill bey vobserved that movement of thehigh tension section 1 5c will not involve-any movement of the tension governing'sec't'ion 15b, and less work is therefore required of the power pneu- 5 5 matic 1 7 In this construction, the tension governing section 15k? is always in a p osition to overn.

rom the foregoing4 it will be seen thatair Aexhausted from the wind-chest always flows 6o through a single course or passage, and' its course is always through the bellows 11, whether for. high or lowtension.I By this arrangement I have found the action to be very sensitive and `'quicl'ly responsive.. Further-. 65 more, 1t results m great compactness,since it entirely ldoes away' with the necessity of any) auxiliary or independent passage 'or wind- Way, such as employed prior to my inventions.-

-What I claim is: 1;.-In an auto-pneumatic musical instrumen-t, `or the like, a wind-chest, an exhaust l chamber, a single passage affording communicationbetweensaid exhaust chamber and l 'said wind-chest, a bellows, the courseof said passage extending 'through said bellows, a'

valve in said passage, said valvecomprising -two sections, one a 4tension lgoverning section,'t he other a high tension section, the po- 8o sition of the tension governing section being controlled by said bellows, and automaticallyoperated means for controlling the high v tension section of said valve.

2. In an auto-pneumatic' musical in stru- 85 ment, o r the like",` a 'wind-chest,.an exhaust chamber, la Single passage affording communication between said exhaust chamber and said `wind-ches t,`a bellowsvthe course of said passage extending throu h said bellows, a go valve in said passage, sai valve comprising two sections, one a tension governingsection, the other a high tension section, the position of the tension governing sectionbeing co'ntrolled by said bellows, and apower pneu- `vv matic, for controlling saidhigh tension section, said power `pneumatic beingcontro-lled from thetraeker. A 1' FRANK C.'WHITE. Witnesses;

A. G. KUHNLE, L. A. KUHNLE. 

